Keeping trails groomed at Aspen Park

SNOW JOBS:

Editor’s note: Here is another installment of an occasional series we call “Snow Jobs.”

GAYLORD — For the past 10 years, Gaylord Dept. of Public Works’ mechanic Brian Kierczynski has been grooming the ski trails at Aspen Park.

Once there’s enough snow on the mostly-paved pathways, Kierczynski drives the groomer from the DPW garage to the park, where he begins towing the groomer’s drag — a series of plow blades and a compacting arm — down the trails. He hits each trail twice, once to remove the bigger bumps and level the trail, and again to give it a nice, smooth finish. Each grooming run takes about an hour.

The parallel ski tracks are actually carved into the trail by the groomer, and the middle and shoulder of the path are compact enough to walk on without snowshoes.

The job comes with its challenges.

“Bad weather and blowing and drifting snow is pretty bad. It gets icy with freezing rain and there’s not a lot you can do for the trails,” he said while grooming on a recent Wednesday afternoon.

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Maintenance of the groomer is a lot like a car, he said, with standard oil changes and grease jobs.

The cab even has a radio, but “you’re really not in here long enough to get that bored,” he laughed.

Along with those duties, Kierczynski keeps the several bird feeders around the park stocked with seed. When he’s not working, Kierczynski enjoys hunting, fishing and ice fishing with his kids.